The invention relates to an accessory or add-on unit for a fishing rod for adjusting the depth of cast bait, it being possible for said depth adjustment to be changed as desired at any time. The add-on unit can be used to supplement conventional fishing tackle by being fastened on the traditional float. As a straight-forward and small add-on part, it makes it possible for the angler to regulate or vary the floating depth of the bait as desired at any time without having to repeat the bait-casting operation. As a result, it is also possible, in particular, for the bait to be held continuously immediately or at a certain height xe2x80x9cabove the bottomxe2x80x9d.
The angler usually attempts to give the bait to the fish if possible xe2x80x9cjust above the bottomxe2x80x9d, but at least at a deliberately selected (usually small) distance from the bottom of the body of water.
Up until now, however, such specific positioning of the bait with satisfactory precision has not be practicable.
It is known from the prior art first of all by means of one (or usually more than one) cast plumb line, or with the aid of other laborious procedures, to determine the depth of the body of water in order then to adjust the distance between the bait and traditional floats (i.e. the bait-retaining float) in accordance with the desired distance above the bottom of the body of water. This procedure, however, is time-consuming and inaccurate, and the resulting measured value can only be applied unreliably, and at best approximately, to the distance between the bait and traditional floats. In addition to this, it is not possible in practice, in particular with a relatively large distance from the angler, to coordinate in any reliable manner the respective immersion locations of the trial cast and the cast bait. Furthermore, it is not usually possible to count on a relatively extensive fished body of water to be of ideally constant depth.
It is thus not possible at present for the floating depth of the bait to be regulated in a desired manner once the bait has been cast.
The present invention provides a new and improved add-on unit for a fishing rod that makes it possible for the floating depth of the bait to be changed in a desired manner at any time once the bait has been cast. The intention is also for the add-on unit to be of uncomplicated construction, to be capable of production at low cost, not be susceptible to malfunctioning and to be of small dimensions and not visible to the fish.
According to an illustrated embodiment of the invention an add-on unit connectable to a float is provided for controlling the depth to which a fishing line descends. The unit comprises a line guiding assembly and a pivot structure coupling a float to the assembly. The pivot structure couples the float and assembly so that when the float is floating on the surface of a body of water the assembly is at least partially submerged and pivotable relative to the float between first and second positions. The line guiding assembly comprises a guide body and a line clamping body disposed within the guide body. The guide body defines an inlet opening, an outlet opening, and an enlarged cavity communicating with the inlet and outlet openings so that a fishing line can extend through the openings and the cavity. The clamping body has a density greater than that of water and is gravity biased to clamp a fishing line between the guide body and the clamping body when the assembly is in its first position so that the depth to which the fishing line extends can not be increased. The clamping body is gravity biased away from clamping engagement with the fishing line when the assembly is in its second position so that the fishing line may move through the guide body to change the depth to which the line extends.
The accessory or add-on unit according to the invention is distinguished by a hollow body which can be connected tiltably to a traditional float, can be submerged in water and is provided with an inlet opening and an outlet opening for a fishing line. The hollow body has an inner cavity which is located between the inlet and outlet openings and is intended for receiving a freely movable, submersible clamping body, for example a ball or a roller. The hollow body is configured such that actuation of the fishing line makes it possible for it to be tilted between a vertical position, in which the fishing line is clamped firmly, and a horizontal position, in which the fishing line can be moved and, in particular, let out in the downward direction, with the result that, in the vertical position, the fishing line is clamped by the clamping body, whereas, in the horizontal position, it is released by the clamping body. These features make it possible for the angler, by actuation of the fishing line, to select, for example, the horizontal position of the hollow body, with the result that the fishing-line through-passage is released by the clamping body and the bait can sink freely. Upon adjustment of the vertical position of the hollow body, the fishing-line through-passage is blocked by means of the clamping body, with the result that the bait is prevented from sinking further. This makes it possible, merely by appropriate actuation of the fishing line, either to arrest or to change again at any time the position of the bait above the bottom.
The accessory or add-on unit according to the invention is an apparatus which is extremely uncomplicated in terms of construction and is therefore not particularly costly, and which is not susceptible to malfunctioning, may be of small dimensions and can be used without difficulty. The add-on unit can be used without any modification to the conventional fishing tackle (rod, reel, fishing line, traditional float, lead weight(s), etc.) and makes it possible even for the unpracticed individual to raise the bait again by a desired amount, for example once it has come into contact with the bottom, and subsequently to correct as desired thexe2x80x94thus initially consolidatedxe2x80x94bait position without renewed casting. Of course, further corrections or changes in position (distance above the bottom) are possible here at any time. These changes may take place to an unlimited extent both in the direction of greater depth and in the direction of lesser depth (possibly xe2x80x9cto the bottomxe2x80x9d again or xe2x80x9cjust above the bottomxe2x80x9d).
The accessory or add-on unit according to the invention essentially constitutes a solid hollow body which is of specific shape and weight distribution and has an inlet opening and an outlet opening, located more or less opposite said inlet opening, for the passage of the fishing line. In a preferred embodiment of the add-on unit, on one side, the wall of the hollow body has a deep trough-like hollow. A freely movable ball is located in this case as clamping body in the interior of the hollow body.
The relative density both of the hollow body and of the ball is higher than that of water, with the result that the hollow body is immersed in the water and, following the immersion in water, is immediately flooded via the inlet and outlet openings.
In the xe2x80x9crightedxe2x80x9d (vertical) position of the hollow body of the preferred embodiment, i.e. in the position in which the outlet opening is approximately vertically, or at the maximum depth, beneath the inlet opening, the ball, on account of its weight, can fit or wedge loosely into the preferably round funnel-like outlet opening and thus clamp in the fishing line between itself and the annular outlet-opening border. At the same time, it stabilizes the vertical alignment of the hollow body. The pinching and/or arresting effect and the stability of the vertical position of the hollow body inevitably increase with the (outwardly directed) tensile force of the bait.
In the xe2x80x9clyingxe2x80x9d (horizontal) position of the hollow body, i.e. in the position in which the two openings are approximately at the same depth, the ball rolls, once again following the force of gravity, into the trough-like hollow of the hollow body. This is brought about in that said hollow has passed to the lowest location of the assembly by virtue of the pull exerted in a certain manner on the fishing line by the angler and as a result of the way in which the hollow body is suspended on the traditional float and of the weight distribution of the hollow body. The weight of the ball resting in the trough gives additional stability to the horizontal position of the hollow body during the free through-passage of the fishing line.
In a further preferred embodiment, a pin runs (as a tilting spindle) through the interior of the hollow body transversely to the line connecting the inlet opening and outlet opening of the fishing line and symmetrically in relation to the trough-like hollow. The pin is mounted rotatably in two holes of the wall of the hollow body, said holes being located opposite one another as bearings (cf. FIG. 1). Said pin is part of a bracket which is closed outside the hollow body and is fastened movably on the float by means of an articulation.
The pin is preferably arranged within the cavity such that, in addition to allowing the two alternative stable positions of the hollow body, i.e. the horizontal position or the vertical position, to be produced easily and reliably, it allows the ball to roll back and forth freely between the outlet opening and trough, but keeps said ball away from the immediate surroundings of the inlet opening. In order to predetermine the tilting direction of the hollow body and to prevent the fishing line from looping during casting, the bracket is preferably configured and provided such that it is always on that side of the assembly which is directed away from the trough-like hollow. This can be achieved in that the inlet-opening stub and the outlet-opening stub limit the excursion of the (outer) bracket.
The weight distribution in relation to the hollow body should be dimensioned such that the latter, even when the ball rests in the outlet opening, tends to tilt about the axis of rotation provided that the weight of the bait does not produce a righting torque and consequentlyxe2x80x94with stabilization brought about together with the ball, which has in the meantime passed to a deeper level and simultaneously stops the fishing-line through-passagexe2x80x94attains the righted position.
Between the tip of the rod and the inlet opening of the hollow body, the fishing line usually runs through an eyelet which is secured on the traditional float and provides little frictional resistance. This eyelet is preferably fitted such that, on the one hand, the pull of the fishing line on the traditional float, said pull taking effect more or less horizontally from the location of the angler, increases the horizontally acting tilting moment but, on the other hand, with the fishing-line through-passage stopped and the traditional float being righted again, the righting of the hollow body is also aided on account of lever action (that is to say ultimately by the bait and ball weight).
It goes without saying that the preferred embodiments of the add-on unit which are described are not mutually exclusive, but may also be combined with one another as desired.